Homeowners prefer to keep the appearance of wall receptacle covers non-obtrusive. Thus, when a standard 110 volt electrical outlet is placed adjacent a group of stereo equipment signal wires and a cable TV outlet, the homeowner prefers to see one plastic wall cover mounted across this assembly of different electrical wires and receptacles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,499 (2001) to Jennison et al. discloses a metal border sized to accept one or more standard electrical receptacles in combination with one or more low voltage CEBUS tap point units such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,696, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The '499 bracket is nailed to a vertical stud. Then an alignment tool, not shown in the patent, is needed to vertically and horizontally align the receptacle boxes before screwing the receptacle boxes to the metal border. When the wiring is complete a standard plastic cover is screwed to the bracket to create an aesthetically appealing wall cover for the assembly of different wire connections.
The problems associated with the '499 bracket include the need for an alignment tool as well as a lack of any mounting flanges for the various wires and conduits associated with the bracket. The patent does not refer to the alignment tool sold in the field in unison with the patented device. The present invention addresses these needs. No alignment tool is needed because a built in snap-off alignment bar is provided. Wiring flanges are provided.